Reviews research of "suicidal fit" among Puerto Ricans in New York City (Trautman, 1961). Trautman studied suicidal behavior among Puerto Ricans in South Bronx. Critiques Trautman's methodology and findings interpretation. Discusses implications for mental health research with mainland Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic groups. (Author/TES)

Reports decreases in aggressive behavior by a 13 year old, behaviorally disordered boy when his teacher used recorded phone messages to communicate the days' behavior to his parents, who applied contingencies at home. Suggests that this intervention allows greater involvement of rural parents in behavioral programs. (SV)

Teacher ratings on reading recognition, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and written expression revealed that behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled adolescents (N=200) were seen as performing significantly below expected levels of achievement. Differences between behaviorally disordered and learning-disabled students appeared to depend…

A questionnaire to identify and validate competencies, based on previous research, university special education programs, and feedback from rural teachers studying behavior disorders was distributed to 176 rural teachers of students with behavior disorders in West Virginia and 6 faculty members who taught courses in behavior disorders. (Author/PB)

Among ideas expressed are that quality of caring, which is the substance of programs for behavior disordered students, cannot be legislated. Teacher training programs should concentrate on underlying concepts that promote teaching excellence. The individual psychology approach is the only real theoretical match for the development of…

Some behavior disordered children drift from agency to agency, with little continuity or communication among services. The price paid is a high one, not only in dollars, but also in terms of negative personal, family, professional, and community consequences. A sense of interagency collaboration needs to be revitalized. (JW)

This study sought to identify the critical factors that differentiated 42 antisocial first grade boys from a comparison norm population. The multimethod approach found three areas of significance: (1) teachers' ratings on measures of aggression, (2) academic engaged time, and (3) negative interactions on the playground. (Author/DB)

The behavior management recommendations outlined in England and Wales' Elton Report are applied to schools for children with emotional/behavioral difficulties, especially Inglesea School. Inglesea School uses the principles of assertive discipline, which communicates specific behavioral expectations to students and rewards children for choosing to…

This study examined effects of a student-operated business curriculum on the on-task behavior of three students with behavioral disorders in a self-contained middle school class. Results indicated relationships between the student-operated business curriculum and increased time on task in mathematics and improved grades. (Author/PB)

Incarcerated adolescent males (n=62) with high and low depression scores were assigned to a positive or neutral affect induction condition. Following affect induction, subjects participated in tasks involving learning to read Hindi words. Results showed a main effect for self-induced positive affect on learning but no main effect for depression…

Direct observation and sequential analytic techniques were used to analyze rates, antecedents, and predictive sequences of aggressive behavior for 28 elementary school-aged children with emotional/behavioral disorders. Results indicated that low rates of positive social interactions characterized the daily classroom ecology of students displaying…

Two experiments examined the effects of rewards alone, rewards plus discussion, and self-evaluation plus rewards on peer interactions of elementary level students with emotional or behavioral disorders. Observational data on eight students showed the self-evaluation procedures to be effective in improving peer interactions when implemented in a…

This article presents strategies teachers can use to develop a pool of potential sensory reinforcers for behavior problems in students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, mild or moderate mental retardation, or language delays. It also provides a step-by-step method for conducting ongoing reinforcer assessment, and suggests how the…

This article recommends the use of professional portfolios in preservice preparation of teachers of students with behavioral disorders and describes the graduate program in behavioral disorders at Western Carolina University (North Carolina). Program development involved determination of competencies and a format for individual project…

This article explains how cooperative learning techniques can be used to teach interpersonal social skills, describes the cognitive-behavioral model for treating deficits in social problem-solving skills, and outlines the critical steps for using peers as social skills trainers in classrooms with antisocial students. (DB)